Love in Action Journey

Lately I have loved seeing on Facebook how many people are practicing the gift of thankfulness with their commitment to "100 days of giving thanks". When we really take a moment to look at our lives, so many of the relationships, memories or things that can so easily skip our notice in the busy-ness of life all of a sudden shine out as precious gifts. Things that we take for granted are finally seen as precious treasures. Thanksgiving is such a powerful principle to release joy in our lives. I can't help but smile or giggle when I read many of the comments. It has the incredible ability to encourage, uplift and release honour to those around us. No wonder there are so many incredible passages in the bible encouraging us to give thanks. It lifts our eyes off the heaviness that can so easily weigh us down and re-focuses us on just how kind and good God truly is in our lives by surrounding us with people who love and "get us".  Something that I am truly thankf...

Dear Zac, Today is another significant day for us as your family. Yesterday would have been your 3rd birthday and today your "Heavenly birthday". While we have come a long way from the excruciating pain of loss, our hearts still miss you dearly. It comforts my heart as your mom to write out the thoughts in my heart and take the time to sit and remember the precious moments entrusted to us through the time Father God gave us with you. I like to imagine our precious Jesus holding you in His lap reading you my letter ;0) I know where you are and have peace in that, but man how I long for even just a tiny little glimpse of the sweet little toddler that you have blossomed into in Heaven and just one more beloved snuggle. I continue to write out my heart, because over these last 3 years I have come to meet many other precious moms and dads who are hurting from walking similar journeys. My prayer is that the healing that Father God has so graciously been working out in our hearts...

Oh goodness ... this year has been a little bit of a write off when it comes to my creativity and time dedicated to my blog. Unapologetically, this has been a season for me to focus on my family. In the last 18 months our sweet Gabriel has taken centre stage as my hubby, daughters and I savour this sweet little boys baby phase. In just a blink of an eye he has become a busy toddler, my eldest is exploring the very first phases of having become a teenager and I am holding onto each day of my precious second-born savouring her last few years as a little girl in the tween stage. I am a blessed mommy.  While it always gives me such joy to snap pictures of my precious family, when they are all gathered in one snapshot, I still get that heart-pang that notices that one precious little face missing. Next month will mark 3 years since we last held our precious Zac. I often wonder what my sweet boy must look like now in his Heavenly home. I wonder which of his siblings he may look like...

It's late, but I can't sleep. I've been tossing and turning for ages. Finally, I've crawled out of bed and found a cozy little corner in my lounge, wrapped up in my warmest gown. (Shew but it's quiet when everyone is asleep!) There is a word stuck in my heart that I need to explore with you tonight. " Beloved " . Short and sweet. Simple, yet deeply profound in turning our lives around. Here's what's rolling around in my heart ... It all started with a greeting I read in the book of 3 John 1:2. "Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers." That simple little verse has arrested my heart on and off for weeks now. Lately, God has been dealing with me graciously (and p-a-t-i-e-n-t-l-y) about "decluttering" my heart and everyday life from things that are stealing my time and drawing away my focus from where it needs to be in order for me to thrive and prosper (like this verse...

Oy!!! I don't know when last I had one of these whoppers of a day like I've been having today! You know those ones where half way through you are wondering why in the blue blazers you decided to get up?! Yip. It's been one of those for me. Just to give you a taste ... 1) I went out to breakfast with a friend. Each breakfast choice I picked, apparently they weren't able to make for me. So when I finally found something they could make for me, imagine my shock-horror when my plate of scrambled eggs arrived with a pile of lettuce on it to "replace" the other foods that they had unfortunately just realised they had run out of! LETTUCE!!! With eggs?! I kid you not!!! Mwah ha ha. Funny now, but I cannot say that I was giggling at the time! I promptly removed those crazy greens off my breakfast plate :0) 2) As I got home (in the rain) I realise that I was parked outside of my own gate! My darling hubby had arranged for the fumigators to come today and they parke...

I want to start this post by sharing that the things that I write around are not written from my "point of strength", but more as part of the learning journey that I am on with Jesus. I am forever grateful for His never-ending levels of patience with me! (Im sure He has to practice a little extra dose with me in my many trying-to-change-stubborn-ways ;0) hee hee). Even after walking with my hand in His for these last 37 years, He continues to show me grace in my learning how to live a life that honours, brings Him joy and that can reflect Him as the lavish good God that He is in so many ways. Gosh ... I have so much to still learn and change, but I can truly say that I love the process of transformation with such a loving God Almighty.  Ok ... that out of the way, let me start blogging what I am hearing and learning today ... I woke up this morning to another busy start. I had to say an early goodbye at the airport to my precious Mommy Darling who just spent a month with...

13 years ago, God gave us the precious gift of a beloved first born daughter. In what feels like a blink of the eye, our "little bear" has stepped from childhood into becoming a precious, beautiful teenager this past weekend. This mommy is soaking in every little cuddle from my growing-up princess ...  And this daddy could not be any prouder of the gem that our Tianna is in all our lives ... I loved watching her soak in the joy of every moment of her day. From opening pressies ... To hanging with her special JHB cuzzies and family ... She appreciated every moment of her day! A total highlight was her "lumo" party that night. These sweet girls danced, swam, chatted, played ball and had SUCH fun. May they never loose their child-like simple joy of life. A "forever" moment for me was having all her family gathered around her to bless her as she stepped into becoming a young lady.  And it meant THE WORLD to ...